THE CULINARY GARDEN- 



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state, the particles of earthy matter, and of stones liable to 

 decomposition, are thus rent asunder, and crumble down into 

 a fine mould. Independently of the benefits thus derived to the 

 soil, the roots of weeds, insects and their eggs, are destroyed 

 in greater quantities, than is generally supposed. 



Strong stubborn soils may be improved by burning, but this 

 is more a matter of agriculture than horticulture. Light ones 

 may be improved by compression, but neither of these soils is 

 very proper for a garden. 



In the improvement of soils by the operation of ti'enching, 

 particular care must be taken to perform it in moderation, tha*- 

 is, to ti'ench the ground according to the depth of the soil. Ax 

 garden-gi'ounds should be fi:om two to three feet deep of good 

 mould, either natural or artificial, and for the quarters of gar- 

 dens, this will be amply sufficient. The fruit-tree borders must 

 of course be of various depths, according to the nature of the 

 trees planted in them. In trenching too deep, much injury 

 may be committed, as the better parts of the soil will thereby 

 be buried, and the subsoil brought up to the surface in its crude 

 state, which is wholly unfit for the nourishment of vegetables. 

 The late Mr. Nicol adopted a very rational method of trench- 

 ing, which is as follows : " Take three crops off' the first sur- 

 face, and then trench three spit deep, by which the bottom and 

 top are reversed, and the middle remains in the middle. Take 

 three crops off' this surface, and then trench two spit ; by which 

 the top becomes the middle, and the middle the top ; and 

 take also three crops off' this surface, and then trench three 

 spit, whereby that which was last the middle, and now top; 

 becomes the bottom, and that which is now the bottom, and 

 was the surface at first, now becomes surface again, after having 

 rested six years. Proceed in this manner alternately, the one 

 time trenching two spit deep, and the other three, by which 

 means the surface will be always changed, and will rest six 

 and produce three years. Hence there will always be new 

 soil," (or, that is, soil greatly renovated, there being no such 

 thing in reality as new soil,) " in the garden, for the production 

 of wholesome vegetables ; and hence also will much less manure 

 be required, than when the soil is shallow, and the same sur- 

 face constantly in crop." He gogs on to say, upon the supposi- 



